What Is Proprietary Software?

Date First Published: 27th July 2023

Topic: Computer Systems

Subtopic: Computer Software

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty Level: 5/10

Learn about what proprietary software is in this article.

Proprietary software is a type of software that remains the property of its developer, meaning that it is not made freely available to modify and distribute to others. Proprietary software is also closed-source, meaning that the developer does not provide the source code to the public, but licenses it to end users under specific terms.

Proprietary software is the opposite of open-source software, which is a type of software where the source code is freely available, modifiable and distributable to the public. Unlike open-source software whose funding often comes through donations and ads, proprietary software is funded through sales.

Do I Have To Pay For Proprietary Software?

A common misconception of proprietary software is that users can only use it if they pay. Proprietary software may be free to use for basic features, but for more advanced features, a fee is required. This is known as freemium software. For example, CCleaner is a proprietary software because the full version of it requires a fee, but it provides basic features free of charge.

Advantages and Disadvantages Of Proprietary Software

• Proprietary software comes with professional support (e.g. for setup, troubleshooting, installation, etc) from the creators. This is unlike open-source software which does not guarantee any professional support.
• The software is well-supported and maintained by the creators. It comes with the rights of proper support for updates, patches, and bug fixes.
• It usually has greater usability than open-source software. More time is usually spent on the user interface and the software is often designed to meet the needs of users better.
• It often comes with more features than open-source software and has greater stability. This is because before releasing the software to the public, developers often ensure that their software goes through testing processes, quality assurance reviews, and vulnerability checks.
• Since the source code is not freely available to anyone, it will reduce the risks of users identifying vulnerabilities and exploiting them. But, this does not mean that proprietary software is always more secure than open-source software.

• It lacks flexibility. Since users cannot modify the source code, it cannot be modified to adapt user's needs, like adding or changing a feature. This can become an issue if users cannot complete all of the necessary tasks they want.
• Users are more 'tied in' to the software if they change their minds and decide to use another software program.
• Licensing is complex and restrictive. Software can be quite expensive, especially if it will be used by a large number of users, and this leaves little room for customisation.
• Users are entirely reliant on the developer for updates, patches, and bug fixes. If the developer is slow to provide this, it could leave users waiting a long time for an important update or fix, which could affect their productivity and security.
• Compared to open-source software, it usually has poorer compatibility with other applications and programs, making it harder to switch between different software and reducing software interoperability. This is because proprietary software often uses proprietary standards and proprietary file formats that can only be recognised and opened by that software program and no others.

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